Hammer Fell
by not2girly4u
Summary: What happened between Rachel and Strausser before Miles arrived. I don't think that hammer was ever close enough to have things end as neatly as the scene led us to believe. Torture and angst. You are warned. Rated: M (for violence and theme)
1. Strausser

...

Rachel stood facing Bradley's amplifier. It was now energizing and emitting a low humming sound - the dangling light bulb in one of the two entry ways began to flicker on. He really had been close to completing it before last night_. "It's a bomb…. It's a very sophisticated time bomb_…"The thought of her own actions against him made her hands tremble so she tried to focus on the task at hand. Something she _could_ control. She needed to get herself, and now both of her children, away from this place.

Gun shots unexpectedly rang out down the corridor. Rachel jumped "What's going on?"

_Please don't be Danny and Charlie._

"Go find out what's going on" an annoyed Sgt. Will Strausser spat at the 3 wide eyed soldiers in his presence. They turned on their heels and darted up the stairs and out of sight.

Rachel immediately felt a new danger; the energy in the room changed as Strausser's gaze fell on her, traveling up and down. She was alone with him, again. Rachel slid her hand onto a hammer lying on a bench to her left. An uneasy chill crawled up her spine as he approached her from behind -reaching up to brush his fingertips down her back. She could feel his hot breath on her neck.

"Don't worry Mrs. Matheson, I'm sure everything's gunna be fine."

All she could think of was Danny and Charlie. She had to get out. She had to go to them. They were all she had left and they needed her. She was not going to let this happen again. Strausser was about to get no less than he deserved. She was going to make sure of it. This was her chance.

She clutched the hammer and spun swinging hard at his head. Strausser blocked the swing with his arm and let out a pained grunt knocking the hammer to the floor beneath the table. Rachel immediately felt his elbow impact with her jaw as she was propelled against the workbench biting into her own lip. He seized her waist whipping her around and shoving her to the ground like a rag doll. She struggled to get up but he climbed on top of her and pulled her across the floor trapping her body beneath his. He pinned her arms. She could feel his arousal against her and it made her stomach turn. Instinctively she spat the freshly pooling blood from her mouth in his face. He let go with surprise and drew his sword grabbing her by the throat. She stilled as she felt the blade touch her jaw.

"Monroe want's me alive" she reminded him in a vain attempt for control.

"So do I, it's much more fun that way" was his ominous retort.

….

Miles and Nora had split off from their small group of rebels, letting the others do the distracting so they could work on the _ex_tracting. Miles heard footsteps below them as they entered a main passageway. That's when he saw Charlie and Danny beneath him making their way behind some old large factory machinery. He bolted around to the nearest stairwell; Nora was hot on his heels. Shots rang out as Miles rounded the corner- instinctively and deftly he unsheathed his sword thrusting the saber through the back of Charlie and Danny's detainer.

"Miles" gasped Charlie, she was wide-eyed as she took a step back to align with her brother whose only reply to the scene that just played out before him was "You're uncle Miles?"

Miles glanced up after obtaining the weapon from the corpse at their feet and said "and you're the reason we're in so much trouble, ya alright?"

"Yeh, I'm ok…" Danny breathed.

"We gotta go" Miles quickly replied.

Charlie shook her head vetoing the plan "We can't… My mom's here"

…

Strausser smirked and his ice blue eyes drifted down to Rachel's exposed collarbone and cleavage then back up - in that short moment the smirk turned serious. He held her there under his weight and against his blade as he took his other hand slowly from her neck reaching into his chest pocket and pulling out a needle loaded with a clear fluid.  
Rachel's eyes widened and she swallowed.

"No!"

"No, no , no… wait.. Please"

Rachel desperately pushed her hands against her attacker's throat. Strausser groaned in frustration tossing his sword in anger towards a far wall, out of reach. He grabbed her wrists pinning them to her chest as he uncapped the drug with his teeth and jammed the needle into the side of her neck. Plunging her almost instantly into pain as the hot liquid began to course through her bloodstream. Her face silently screamed as he removed the syringe. Her breath heaved.

"_This time_ Mrs. Matheson, you _are_ going to play nice"

_She knew he was referring to their most recent "session" when he had her restrained to a chair which was ironically ended up hindering his advances. She had coerced him into un-cuffing her wrists so he could make things "more comfortable" then she proceeded to stab him in the thigh with his own scalpel that lay on the table beside them._

_It had been a couple of months and this was the first time she had been alone with him since. Their last encounter had ended with her spending just over a week in Monroe's infirmary, and Bass had not been happy with Strausser for his "excessive tactics" considering all it had yielded him as far as information from her were the schematics of a basic kitchen toaste_r.

…..

Miles' head was spinning- Rachel was alive, not dead… Alive. How was this possible. He left when? it was… 5-? no 6- years ago. Over 6 fucking years ago! He suddenly felt dizzy.

"Rachel's s.. sshe's alive?"

"Yeh Monroe's been keeping her as a prisoner" Charlie relayed

Miles was clearly lost for words, his eyes darted around the room trying to make sense of what he had just heard.

"OK, you gotta get Danny out of here"

Shots again rang out and the four of them ducked as pipe fragments ricocheted dangerously close. Miles quickly took aim and silenced the attacker. He turned back and yelled "GO!" Nora leapt forward and ordered "C'mon!"

They disappeared from his sight without a second glance.

Miles's adrenaline infused body propelled him deeper into the compound- his chest tightened as he replayed in his mind what he had just heard.

"_Ok" that's what he'd said. OK!? This is ANYTHING but OK. Rachel, Bass_… He had to find her, now.

…..

Strausser's attention redirected momentarily towards the entry as the muffled echo of shots rang out. Rachel's eyesight began to blur as little white floating dots passed in and out of her vision. She heaved and twisted to her side attempting to crawl away. Strausser yanked her arm wrenching it up behind her back forcing her face down on the cold hard cement. She defiantly pushed up with her other arm that was trapped beneath her and that's when she heard it the all too familiar pop* in her left shoulder, her scream sounded almost animalistic and even stunned Strausser, but more than startle him- it turned him on, she could feel him growing harder against her body. It was happening, again.

_This was the 3rd time Strausser had dislocated that shoulder._

…..

Rachel?!

Miles stopped at what he thought was the sound of an isolated scream- but it was quiet again- was it a scream?

_Was his guilt ridden mind now playing tricks on him?_

He moved cautiously through a connecting tunnel with high windows- the light outside was beginning to fade making the dark inside much harder to navigate.

…

Rachel let out a sob abandoning her flight plan. He eased off of her arm as she forced her muscles to relax letting her head drop to the floor in submission. A tear had involuntarily started trailing over the bridge of her nose and down her cheek from the pain in her shoulder as well as the frustration of her situation.

Strausser jerked her by the hair forcing her neck to arc back towards him. Letting out a gasp, Rachel's could feel her nose flaring and her senses heighten. He leaned down and dragged his tongue along her jawline- tasting the blood that was smeared there. Her eyebrows furrowed and she closed her eyes in disgust.

In a haggard tone Rachel began a newly drug hazed plea "M-Monroe… is going to come- Will, pleasse… if you just let me go now- I swear I won't…"

"Won't what? No one is gunna save you this time. The amplifier is finished and you and I are going to have a little celebration. If you're good, I might forget about the hammer."

_There actually had been a few instances in the past when she had been "saved" by Monroe- when he had unexpectedly walked in on them and forced Strausser to retire early because he wasn't getting any information. Sometimes Monroe's presence alone during interrogations kept Strausser's mind out of seriously twisted and sick state it would go to when they were alone. The sad part was that Bass didn't even know he was preventing it. He didn't know a lot of what Sgt. Will Strausser had put her through over the years. Rachel would take Monroe over Strausser in an interrogation room any day. Of course she'd been hurt by Monroe as well, physically and mentally. She had seen him callously kill people, but she also had a gut feeling Bass needed her for more reasons than he was willing to admit._

Strausser released her hair and took hold of her upper arms dragging her backwards to her feet- She growled through the pain in her now nearly useless left arm and crossed her right hand over to cup her injured shoulder as she staggered back complying with his demand. The room had begun to spin and she was having difficulty holding her head up. With her back held against him Strausser slid his arm around her waist holding her in place against his raging erection. He turned them and pressed her down face first onto the surface of the workbench. Her mind was fighting with her body. In her head she was screaming, but her body was not listening to her.

"_Breathe Rachel_." she told herself.

He slipped his hand under her shirt and let his fingers rake across and own her flesh. He reached up kneading into the soft tissue of her breast. She shook her head "no" and tried to resist as Strausser pushed her head down further- bending her at the waist against the countertop. She desperately tried to regain her footing as he began reaching down to the front of her pants. With her cheekbone pressed against the cold metal table, the sensation of his touch reaching into her panties throttled her a second time. Rachel furiously snapped her head back directly into his nose. He reeled in pain and released her, taking a few steps back. Blood began to drip from Strausser's face.

Her vision was doubling and the adrenaline was causing everything to happen in slow motion. The smell of dust, the taste of iron from the blood in her mouth, the hum of the amplifier, the feel of the ground coming up to meet her as she had attempted to turn and face her attacker. She'd broken his nose. –His fist connected harshly against her cheek- and she landed like a rock. He dropped down to kneel over her, unmistakably enraged. She was blinking hard and could feel his blood droplets rhythmically landing on her shirt. Rachel was struggling to back away when she saw the second needle come into focus.

"Please… oh, n… wait… Will, _please_, I will _do_ what you w-want...whatever _you_ want." Rachel said trying her best to sound convincing. Her hands reached out for him again but this time submissively, not touching him but floating in a surrendering position.

He wiped the blood from his nose on his sleeve and gave her an almost gentle smile and whispered:

"I know you will."

His breath was heavy as lowered his chest against hers pressing her down hard against the concrete floor with his crushing weight. He brushed a bloody blonde strand of hair from her face and caressed her cheek softly.

"Shhh, Mrs. Matheson. Shh, it's gunna be fine."

She kept eye contact with him- her eyes searching his- as he slowly, methodically sent the second needle injection into her neck still hushing her as he withdrew the syringe. She trembled hard and contracted as her breath became slow and irregular.

…..

Miles felt like his heart was beating out of chest as he was searching room by room

_Where are you Rachel? Where ARE you?_ It had been years since he'd been here- _Bass had lied to him. How was she… Why would he keep her after all this time? Where would he keep her?_

He checked the obvious interrogation rooms, nothing. It was dark now and he could hear gunfire out in the courtyard. He assumed the soldiers stationed here had been called to assist with his little "rebel invasion" and that's why the area he was in seemed abandoned.

Had she already gotten out? Did Bass move her because they had come?

….

Strausser pulled back and paused to watch inquisitively as the narcotics took further hold of Rachel's body. Her lips parted and her eyes remained open but her head lolled to stare off over her right shoulder. He smiled in accomplishment at her noticeably broken spirit. His breath quickened as he parted her legs centering himself on his knees in between. He drug his hands down over her hips and stroked the tops of her thighs with his palms.

"That's right; let it go-Rachel- let it go. We'll take this nice and slow"

S_he'd never taken 2 shots in this short a time span before. Is this how it ends? Ben, Danny, Charlie. In her mind she had failed them all. "Do you know how bad this is gunna get for you? Do you think I care?" Miles's words haunted her. She had truly believed he would protect her and even let her go home when he realized she couldn't turn the power back on. Miles. "Miles is here? Did he hurt you?"_

She could hear the blood pumping through her ears as she began emitting a hissing noise through her newly locked jaw. Her chest rose and fell in shaky protest and then a clammy sensation engulfed her. Rachel's back abruptly arched sending her body into involuntary convulsions, Strausser looked at her with wide eyed awe and slight unease as her muscles began to seize. The sounds coming out of her were unrecognizable, guttural, pain, whimpering, harsh breaths, held breaths. She could hear herself and the sound triggered her tears to roll down the back of her throat causing her to feel like she was choking. Her vision tunneled and then everything went black.

Strausser took his opportunity, moving with more purpose now- Rachel's body was limp and her eyes closed – He quickly crossed the room, opened a bag resting in the corner and returned spinning his all too familiar scalpel like a kid with a book of matches– he looked down and eyed eagerly the way her breasts shifted with each ragged breath. He returned to his position between her thighs , moved his hand under her shirt and squeezed her breast again, feeling the soft warmth of her flesh as brought his mouth down on her neck, biting and tasting. He leaned back and moved to undo his trouser belt and buckle.

"Mrs. Matheson you are a masterpiece."

….

Miles heard voices and rounded the corner cautiously. Weapon drawn he turned to face 2 soldiers in what looked like a warehouse office discussing whether or not to join the rest of the group or head back to Monroe's secured area. They hadn't seen him but Miles didn't have time to stand around waiting. He raised his rifle and entered the room loudly. They both stopped like deer in the headlights, panicked. One of them reached for his pistol but Miles quickly cautioned him "I …wouldn't do that if I were you." The soldier abandoned his thought instantly and they simultaneously raised their hands in surrender.

"Drop your weapon and kick it to me "Miles ordered pointing at the taller solider first, before turning and repeating the same command to the other.

"Where is Monroe keeping Rachel Matheson?" Miles angled his head maniacally and demanded.

The soldiers eyed each other obviously confused at the inquiry, neither sure how to reply.

"Rachel Matheson… If you don't know then yer of no use to me." Miles quipped while arching an eyebrow, taking aim and locking the bolt action in place on his rifle.

"Hey wait- okay? Okay- I think… she's in the old generator room." The second taller soldier stated as his comrade eyed him in disapprovingly.

"Which way?"

They both pointed in unison. Miles let his eyes glance down the hall before returning to his captives.

He let his tongue dart out to lick his lips and kept his rifle trained on them.

"Got cuffs?"

The second soldier sighed. "yeh"

"Toss me the keys." They both dropped the keys and kicked them to Miles obediently.

"I want you to cuff yerselves to the column behind you. Do it now." Miles ordered.

The two men walked to the center of the room dropped down to the floor, locked their arms around the support beam and then secured themselves into their own cuffs looking up at Miles for approval.

"If I hear ya yell- I will come back and kill ya. Understood?"

Both men nodded in defeat.

_Charlie would be pleased._

Miles collected the pistol from the floor and retrieved the ammo from the extra rifle before making his way back to the hall.

_Well, at least that was quieter than it could have been_.

He exited the room and listened to the 2 soldiers begin to bicker over who hadn't noticed him standing there then he quickly headed in the direction they had pointed.

…

Rachel's eyes fluttered open. Once again she stared up directly into Strausser's steel blue eyes. Everything was still moving in slow motion. He was grinning as he reached between them, rubbing and cupping her center through her pants. His nose was smeared with blood but it had stopped dripping. Rachel bit down on her lower lip as he rubbed against her and tried to focus on something else instead. Her senses intensified and she fixated on the feel of the blood slicked strands of hair stuck to the side of her neck. Strausser stared down at her with a wild look in his eye and then he flashed his metal blade. He tugged Rachel's shirt up and inverted the scalpel, dragging the handle in down her sternum and across her abdomen. He was taunting her, daring her to try something. Her stomach muscles flexed of their own accord. She bucked her hips testing her strength and Strausser quickly and tightly grasped her thighs pulling her against him as he broke the silence.

"Which number are we on? Rachel? Should I count?"

_He called her by her first name when he switched mindsets. "Mrs. Matheson" was his foreplay- what turned him on, "Rachel" was his trophy._

She turned her head away.

_37, is what she told herself. This was the 37th time she would be marked by him either physically or mentally. The 37th time they will have had an encounter over the years that has left her defeated. There was nothing she could say - he wasn't there for information._

Somewhat disappointed by Rachel's lack of enthusiasm Strausser grabbed her hips and gave an angry thrust against her – forcing the air out of her. She winced, silently cursing herself for letting him elicit a reaction.

He flipped the button of her pants open and unzipped them in an oddly gentle but swift manner. Rachel's hand instinctively reached down for him to stop in a futile attempt to delay the inevitable. As though he were unveiling a masterpiece he tugged at the waistline of her pants not pulling them off but merely exposing her hipbones, and panties – he bent over her watching her face as he traced an old set of scars he had created inside her right hipbone, three chevrons etched together. It had taken a half dozen encounters spanning over months before he was pleased with his work, crafting them. He had one for each rank he gained in the militia.

She felt like vomiting as he adjusted himself over her and turned her onto her stomach; her left arm was trapped beneath her and it felt like broken glass was crawling through her shoulder. As she painstakingly pulled her arm free trying to keep it close to her side, Rachel could feel the cold floor on her bare abdomen and she found it strangely comforting. She felt a wave of pressure overwhelming her as Strausser repositioned his mount. She stared at a deep crack in the floor, and then she began shuddering again. As Rachel's body tensed and tightened with spasms Strausser held her down possessively. He raised the back of her shirt, caressing the soft flesh there, waiting for her drug induced twitches to stop. He took the time to admire the beautiful damage he had inflicted over the years. Rachel finally slowed and released a long ragged breath. She was completely drained.

Strausser held her firmly while moving down to rest his full weight on the backs of her thighs- his erection still fighting to be released from his unbuckled pants.

First, he had to take care of business and with movements like that of an artist's; he took his scalpel and moved it lightly above Rachel's milky white flesh imagining the lines as if it were that of a paint brush on canvas, his lip curled, and his eyes darkened as he began to engrave the new mark in the soft tissue of her lower left back. Rachel arched and her eyes snapped shut thrusting her right hand behind her trying in vain to grasp ahold of his arm. Her legs writhed and thrashed with each stroke as she let her screams come out.

"- ahhHHAaa" Rachel cried out and turned her forehead to the floor. She began to hit the concrete with her palm in pain as she felt the warm drip of blood run down her back and side.

….


	2. Rachel

Miles heard her scream.

"Rachel?!"

_Yeh, THAT was definitely her. Rachel!_

Miles looked back in the direction of the sound and stopped at the sight of a single flickering light at the end, he bolted towards it tossing his rifle over his shoulder and un-holstering his newly acquired pistol from his waist_._

"P…lease… stop" Her head swooned and her voice shuddered. Her cries had dwindled to nothing more than a pleading whisper into the concrete. "p-please…ple...".

Strausser moaned erotically as he rubbed the blood away with his thumb. Carving with meticulous resolve, his breath ragged with the pleasure of his work.

Miles stopped outside the door, raised his pistol, took a deep breath and charged into the entryway. He was frozen at the sight of Will Strausser ripping Rachel up off the floor from a prone position and peeling her swiftly onto her knees. She heaved and gasped as he held her in front of himself, looking up to face one and only former General, Miles Matheson.

Stunned, Miles was utterly stunned. He couldn't believe his eyes. Rachel was trying to raise her head, she had one arm pulled in protectively and the other hanging on to the arm around her.

"_Damnitt!" _Miles thought as he snapped out of the daze. He internally cursed himself realizing he had already missed his chance to kill the man.

"Miles. We meet again." Strausser said coldly.

"Let her go Strausser, whatever _this_ is- it's over!" Miles demanded; his eyes darkening as he felt is temperature rising. Sweat began to bead on his upper lip and he couldn't keep his eyes off of her.

She's alive.

Strausser smirked. "O C'mon Miles we weren't finished here. Were we Rachel?"

Rachel tried shifting and involuntarily let out a soft throaty sob.

Miles rapidly took 2 steps closer and Strausser retaliated by yanking Rachel's head back exposing her neck and his scalpel. Miles stole an infuriated breath and stopped. Rachel's eyes opened her breathing heavy but steady. Her eyebrows were furrowing somewhere between pain and frustration, lips parted. She was clearly still trying to determine what was happening. She looked right at Miles. Her big beautiful blue eyes wracked with confusion. Rachel couldn't quite make out his face but she was certain she knew the voice of the tall dark haired man that was standing less than 15 feet from her.

Miles looked her over intensely then surveyed the room mentally noting the amplifier, hammer under the table, the syringes, a sword off against the far wall, their clothes and the blood smeared across the room as well on both of them. His mind was racing to piece together what had happened here. His eyes found their way back to Rachel who was extremely pale and clearly incapacitated.

"What did you do to her?"

Strausser's voice emitted a now low and serious tone.

"I think we can work something out here? Can't we old friend?"

He drug Rachel to her feet- she complied feebly, exhausted. Using her as his shield, Strausser continued his slow deliberate pace stepping backward toward the second entry behind them, a painfully firm grip on the bloodied blonde in front of him.

"Hard to keep your eyes off of her isn't it Miles? So striking… isn't she?"

"Yer a dead man Will. I just haven't killed you yet. How far do ya think yer are gunna get with her? Let her go man." Miles inched forward carefully trying to close the distance and find a shot he could make without the risk of hitting Rachel.

Strausser obviously knew what Miles said was true- he was trapped and improvising and that was dangerous. Once he reached the top of three steps to the adjoining corridor he leaned and whispered something to Rachel. He pressed the tip of his scalpel into the side of her neck near her collarbone, digging it into her flesh enough to make her bleed. Rachel tried to bite back on her whimper.

"Strausser!" Miles yelled in a forceful voice quivering on the boarder of panic.

Without another word Strausser shoved her as hard as he could manage, launching her from the stairs towards Miles.

As soon as they separated, Miles fired. The shot hit the wall and Strausser was gone, vanishing into the darkened corridor. Miles instinctively dropped his pistol and lunged to catch Rachel. She collided into his shoulder knocking him back and they both landed viciously on the concrete in a heap. Rachel on her side and Miles flat on his back. He shook his head lightly considering the concussion he may have just received before he pushed himself and Rachel upright.

"Rachel?"

She felt his hands on her- checking her-sliding down her face, examining her neck, his hand stopped at the bulge on her left shoulder then continued rechecking–He was talking but she couldn't hear him. It was like he was at the end of a tunnel and his words were echoed and muffled. Rachel was slumped on her knees close to his chest and Miles's legs were on either side of her. She could see his chest heaving with the rush of adrenaline as he spoke –She blinked hard. Miles. It was Miles.

"Rachel!?" Miles repeated. "Hey, I need you to look at me, look at me. Jeezus, breathe, Ok? Breathe." He was trying to cradle her face up towards him but she was shaking violently.

_Had I been holding my breath?_ She let go of a long breath and slowly brought her eyes up to meet his.

She was almost expressionless except for the smallest twitch she felt at the corner of her mouth. She wanted to hit him. But instead she slowly brought her shaky hand up touching his hand on her neck which had already started bruising.

"Say something. Can ya hear me? Ya ok?"

Rachel managed two tiny nods at which point Miles immediately slid back and got to his feet- retrieving the fallen pistol and placing back in his waistband.

"We gotta go. Rachel, we gotta go now, can you walk?" He held out a hand to help her up. His sense of urgency was reiterated by the sounds of gunfire outside.

Rachel grabbed ahold of his wrist as he pulled her to a wavering stand, half catching her against him. Her shirt was stuck to the skin on her back making her wince as it pulled against the torn flesh. He turned them to go through the entrance that Miles had come in, Rachel gripping Miles around his back with her right arm. She could smell the leather of his jacket. Feel the dampness of his sweat through his shirt. Her chest tightened; suddenly Miles felt the gun being pulled from his waist and Rachel swiftly pushing away, nearly tripping in her own delirium.

"Where's… Danny? …Charlie?" She said in a low even tone, blinking heavily as she raised the pistol against him.

She purposefully moved away from Miles back towards the workbench and the amplifier keeping the gun trained in his direction– She shook her head in long slow motions trying to regain her depth perception. Her head, shoulder and back were all screaming for her to stop. She reached down and removed the pendant from the machine watching Miles as the lights dimmed to near darkness- The moon shone through the windows and a few residual candles lit small areas of the large room.

Miles put his hands up and softened his expression- his look was a cross of pity and guilt.

_"God Rachel"_ he thought, _what happened to her_? His mind couldn't quite put together all he had learned and seen since he had arrived here. The fact that she was in front of him alive was both a rush of relief, fear and a newfound deep pitted anger that was growing towards the man he used to call his best friend; Bass.

His tongue darted out to lick his lips again as he spoke slowly and carefully to her. "Rachel, we don't have time for this, not now- gimme the gun, please. Danny and Charlie are fine, they're with Nora and Aaron- they're waiting for us. Rachel. You gotta believe me."

Miles could see the internal battle raging through Rachel's eyes. Hurt, confusion, anger. The edge of her mouth quivered with doubt. She held her ground stoically until they heard the sound of footsteps coming from the hall behind her that Strausser had fled through. Miles's eyes widened pleading with her silently. – She clenched her jaw, nostrils flaring as she jammed the pendant into her front pocket realizing she had to choose. Miles or whoever was approaching behind her.

She took two long wavering strides simultaneously tucking the pistol in the back of her pants whilst trying to mask the drug induced side effects that were still plaguing her. She crossed in front of him into the corridor as he un-shouldered the rifle still hanging on his back and took aim at the opposite entryway defensively as he backed out the way he came in, Rachel hesitantly waited for him. Once he had cleared the room, Miles turned and gave Rachel a nod.

"Run."


	3. Run

"Run."

He took the lead and her right arm and they began to run. She gripped the hand on her arm with her left- trying to steady the jolting pain in her shoulder as she let him drag her out into the darkness of the compound courtyard. She felt the pistol rubbing against the raw, still bleeding filleted flesh on her back and knew her body was about to collapse. Rachel's feet abruptly stopped. "Miles?" she shuddered. "I…"

Miles was completely focused on getting them through the inner courtyard until he felt her grip let go- he spun around just in time to catch her as she passed out. "N-n-no…Not now… Rachel! C'mon." He slid the rifle to his back once again- retrieved the pistol from her, scooped her up and swiftly continued on; headed to the designated meeting spot that he and Nora had agreed upon before they entered the compound. Rachel hung loosely in his arms as he maneuvered toward the outer wall. When he heard the sound of horses he knew he was close.

Miles rounded a concrete pipe and ran directly into Nora, nearly dropping Rachel as he tripped over Nora's crouched figure. She stood quickly, half catching Rachel and eyeing her then Miles with a look of serious concern. There was an unsettling pain in Miles's expression when her eyes fixed back on his. "Think she's drugged." Miles said clearing his throat so as to keep his voice low.

"Mom?!" Charlie stood and crossed to them as her blue eyes gaped at the bloodied woman in Miles's arms –

Danny ran up and echoed the same word "Mom." His face flushed and he was nearly in tears at the sight of her.

He looked Miles intensely then started collecting Rachel from his arms. "I got her."

Miles nodded and carefully handed Rachel off to her son. His hands moved back to his rifle but his eyes stayed on Rachel.

They all crouched down – the gunfire had ceased and Miles wasn't sure if their rebel friends had retreated or been defeated. Either way-it was pitch black out and they needed to get through this wall.

"Where the hell is Aaron?" Miles spat.

"He'll be here." Charlie said reassuringly as they all watched Rachel breathing shallowly in Danny's arms.

Danny cradled his mother's head and stroked her cheek sweetly. "What happened to her?" he whispered in genuine concern. Miles ran a hand through his hair and closed his eyes with panging guilt. He was not prepared to verbalize what he had witnessed.

Suddenly there was a blast and pieces of rock and cement were raining down all around them. Charlie stood and shielded Danny as he shielded Rachel. Miles felt his ears ringing as Nora peered around the corner and sighed in relief motioning back to the group. "Aaron- let's go."

They emerged one at a time through the new fracture in the wall and hurried into the nearby tree line as Aaron stood by shell-shocked at his own destruction holding a flint in one hand and the reins of a horse drawn wagon in the other. He was doing a mental headcount.

_Nora, Charlie, Danny…Rachel!? Miles, Rachel!? _

Nora hopped in the driver's seat and pleaded "Let's go! Not gunna take them long to figure out where that came from." Danny set Rachel on the wagon bed giving Aaron a nod as he passed him. Charlie leapt up to hold her in place while her brother climbed in. Danny slid her with him to the front of the bed and made room for Aaron.

After stepping in front of a clearly dumbfounded Aaron, Miles barked "Aaron! Let's go! " The intensity of his voice combined with Miles's dark eyes snapped Aaron out of his stupor. He climbed into the wagon still staring at Rachel in disbelief. Miles quickly joined Nora at the front of the wagon as she drove them into the cover of darkness.


	4. Escape

They rode silently for over an hour, through a thick wooded area, away from the roads heading south by southwest. Rachel was lying limply against Danny. Her head was resting against his shoulder as he stroked her hair soothingly.

Charlie sat opposite Aaron on either side of the wagon. They both stared off –lost in very different worlds.

Charlie felt whole again with her brother back but clearly uneasy with how close they all still were to danger. _At least now I will be able to protect him_. Glancing at her mom started a whole new set of thoughts and emotions racing through her. _How?_ Why was she so upset about her mom being alive after all this time? She was overwhelmed on many levels.

_Rachel, Ben… The pendant, she was here, with Monroe of all people. Alive? Had Ben known she was with them? Why did they want her? Clearly the pendant was an energy source. Why would Ben lie to him? Why did Ben give HIM the pendant? Everything just got so much more complicated. She was not the mild mannered housewife he thought he knew. _

Aaron needed answers and they were all lying 3 feet away – unconscious.

Miles's voice was the first to break the silence. "Charlie? I need you to trade places with me. Charlie slowly turned her gaze to meet Miles's. He was already climbing over the seat careful not to step on Rachel. Charlie didn't say a word; she grabbed the side of the wagon and carefully stood swapping places with him, joining Nora at the reins. Nora looked over briefly at Charlie's stoic expression and determined that, as with Miles, silence would be her best option.

He knelt near Rachel's thighs as Danny watched with protective interest. Miles did a pulse check on his mother, and then resurveyed her injuries. Danny looked up and quietly asked the same question that had earlier gone unanswered. "What happened to her?" Miles ran his hand heavily down his face and sighed, trying to think of what to reveal about what he had seen. "I think… her left shoulder is dislocated, again." Danny's eyebrows arched at the word "again" as he peered down at his mother's protruding shoulder and nodded in agreement.

Miles's looked over and continued speaking. "Aaron? I need yer help here. "

At the sound of his name Aaron looked up. "You need _my _help?"

"Yeh, I wanna put her shoulder back in its socket before she wakes up- I need _you _to hold her."

Aaron looked at Danny – The shy, sensitive, sweet kid that he used to teach basic algebra to back in their village. He seemed taller and broader now than he remembered but he was still Danny. The boy's face was wracked with concern.

He was thinking up an argument when his eyes locked on Rachel's pale face. Instead he found himself nodding as Danny moved to shift his mom to a sitting position against Aaron's chest. "Ok, what do I need to do?"

Miles gently lifted Rachel's left arm out in front of her, testing the rotation. "Put one arm across her upper chest and the other across her waist, like this." He demonstrated a bear hug, "…and hold on." Aaron's eyes got wide as he carefully positioned himself like Miles had instructed.

"…on the count of three ok?" Miles said setting himself across from Aaron and planting his feet against the wagon for leverage. His eyes met Aaron's as he secured Rachel's arm by her elbow and wrist.

Aaron took a deep breath and held Rachel firmly. "K"

"1….2…3!"

Miles yanked Rachel's arm, Aaron squeezed as he felt Rachel's gasp, her head and body thrust forward off his chest. As Miles began to twist, her eyes squeezed tightly and her head snapped up, she screamed out in pain. Her free arm instinctively flew up and grabbed for her left arm then Aaron's hold. A mortified Danny quickly moved closer but stopped as Miles cautioned him "wait!". Without another word, Miles thrust Rachel's shoulder back towards Aaron feeling the ball slide back into the joint. Rachel let out another cry and thrashed her legs, gaining the attention of Charlie in the front of the wagon. Nora quickly placed a hand on Charlie's knee "It's ok- he knows what he's doing."

Aaron held Rachel for another minute before feeling the heaving in her chest quell and her body relax. Rachel's eyes looked around slowly in a confused haze stopping at Danny. She blinked slowly and gave him a weak smile of recognition then shut her eyes trying to subdue her senses and swallow the bile that was rising in her throat. Rachel began to retch, dry heaving as she shook uncontrollably.

"I.. iss this normal?!" Aaron began to panic and Danny helped him turn and move himself out from behind Rachel as Miles slid off his jacket and quickly took Aaron's place. He covered her shoulders backwards with his jacket like a blanket and turned her into the warmth of his chest. Miles rested his chin on the top of Rachel's head cradling torso under his strong embrace so she wouldn't hurt herself.

"M-iles?" Rachel whispered in a tone relaying fear, hurt and anxiety. She didn't look at him but she also didn't try to move away from him.

He nodded into her scalp "Shh, it's okay Rachel"

Miles held her close, silently promising himself to never let anyone hurt her again even if it killed him. He couldn't look away from her. He needed to watch her breathe. He had dreamed about her for so long, been haunted by her. She was in and out of consciousness for a while and each time he could feel her body tense. Eventually she gave up and let sleep take her.


	5. Camp

They rode on. Danny and Aaron had somehow managed to nod off. A few short quiet conversations happened between Nora and Miles with an occasional fact from Charlie regarding the compound, their direction and destination. Miles had suggested for them to attempt to reach the Georgia state line. Nora was hesitant when she heard that Rachel had finished an amplifier for Monroe. She had a lot of rebel friends in the area and felt it obligated to warn them. They chatted calmly back and forth over the seat. Nora not oblivious to the attention Miles was expending on Rachel. Charlie soaked up as much information as she could. Miles told Nora that Rachel had the pendant but Nora was undeterred. She wanted to go to Annapolis at first light.

They reached the Potomac River; Nora turned the wagon and headed upstream towards a known rebel crossing. The bridges would definitely be heavily guarded by the militia and once riders made their way down with the news of Matheson and his escape with fugitives. They crossed the river in the dead of night on a makeshift barge- the rebels were reluctant but persuaded by the appearance of the strangers as they allowed them to make the crossing unnoticed.

When Miles and Nora agreed that they finally felt comfortable with the area and distance they'd put between them and Philadelphia she pulled the wagon in behind an old abandoned barn just above a creek. They had made it to Virginia. Charlie gave Nora a smile and a nod as they silently dismounted and began untying the horses.

Charlie was tired but had a hard time taking her eyes off of her family- her brother looked like an angel as he slept against Aaron's shoulder. Her mother was so much more fragile and human than Charlie remembered her. In Charlie's mind she had put her mother on such a pedestal , that when she was faced with the reality of her, and the idea that she hadn't tried to come back after all the years Charlie felt strangely betrayed and lost. She obediently followed Nora and they led the horses down to the creek for a drink.

While securing the horse in the heavily treed area Nora watched Charlie silently.

"What?" Charlie finally snapped trying to stop the conversation before it started.

"You okay?" Was all Nora said.

Charlie sighed and smiled weakly feeling bad for jumping at her friend's concern. "Yeh" .

"Ok" Nora nodded and started picking up firewood- Charlie again followed suit, gathering twigs. Charlie was wishing she could express how much she appreciated Nora's simplicity right now- but she didn't.

….


	6. Creek

Rachel recoiled when she realized the wagon was no longer in motion. Instinctively pulling herself upright off of Miles, looking back slightly to see Danny and Aaron sleeping soundly. She uncovered herself from Miles's jacket while checking her shoulder rotation; she didn't remember how it was corrected but it still ached horribly.

"Hey. Ya ok?" Miles reached towards Rachel, her head turned to him eyes locked on his outstretched hand, she slid herself away from him, handing his jacket back to his extended arm. "I'm fine" she said without looking at him. Rachel tested her legs as her feet hit the ground- she felt nauseous. She turned pretending to check on Danny through her lightheadedness. Her vision was better, even in the darkness but she decided it was best to stay still awhile longer.

"How long was I out?" she said coldly as she continued stared at her son. "Few hours, you should drink some water- help flush the drugs from yer system."

Miles leaned to his backpack with a slight groan- his leg had fallen asleep. He pulled out a canteen and moved to his knees, setting it near Rachel as he climbed out of the wagon and began stretching out the tingling sensation in his leg. "Gunna grab some fire wood."

Rachel redirected her attention to the canteen. Her memory was still fuzzy; she opened the canteen and took a drink. She still had the taste of blood in her mouth. _"… a real peach_. _I could eat peaches all day". _Rachel let her eyes close as she solemnly tried to piece together the events that led her here.

She heard Charlie and Nora as they returned to the camp, both with an armload of kindling. Miles had already started a small fire and both women set down their loads near him, letting him manage the flames.

Rachel remained leaning against the wagon for quite a while, her eyes focused into the darkness. Miles could see that her mind was cloudy and was trying to give her space. When she finally glanced up she caught Charlie watching her and realized she must look pretty awful by the expression on her daughter's face. She suddenly became strangely self conscious. Rachel adjusted her bloody clothes lifting her shirt slightly to correct her pants and trying to act _normal _but she froze as she tucked a chunk of dried bloody blonde hair behind her ear, swallowing hard and determining that was probably what was getting so much attention. Her eyes fluttered back to the trio in front of her and that's when she noticed that it wasn't just Charlie but all three of them that were looking at her. She wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear but instead found herself focused on a rock near her feet. She heard Miles and Charlie redirect their attention away as they began talking quietly and setting up sleeping bags. A minute later, Nora appeared next to her with a backpack. "There's an extra shirt in here if you…" she whispered.

Rachel's eyes met Nora's in the light of the campfire. Nora continued quietly "…and the creek is just down that trail." Rachel couldn't speak; she was grateful but didn't know what to say. She nodded in a gesture of appreciation, took the pack and walked slowly and carefully into the darkness, trying to mask the pain of her injuries.

…..


	7. Breathe

Rachel reached the water- The horses were tied to a nearby tree watching her intently as she knelt down by the edge- testing the temperature. It was cold. The moonlight was reflecting off the water in ripples. She was alone. She was free. Her kids were safe. She reached in her pocket and pulled out the pendant dangling it off of her fingertips -staring at it. "_What if they want to use it as a weapon? Have you thought about that? Y.. you have!" _

"Ben."

Rachel sighed and opened her eyes. She vigilantly put the pendant away, opened the backpack and pulled out a tank top, setting it on the rocks beside her. Delicately, she pulled her arm out of her shirt and lifted it over her head- letting it slide off her injured arm without much effort. She dropped it into the water and watched a dark pool of color wash into the creek. It was an impressive amount of blood. She rinsed it out and began to use it as a washcloth, wiping her neck, face, and the creases where her bra hugged her breasts. She rinsed again and wrung the shirt through her blood tinged hair. She tried to reach down around to her back- feeling only the edge of cut flesh there. _"Mrs. Matheson you are a masterpiece"._

There was a rustling in the bushes behind her and she quickly stood, turning towards the noise, holding the damp shirt protectively in front of her. It was Nora; she held her hands up submissively as she approached Rachel. She was carrying a canteen and bandage. "I.. thought… you might need these."

"It's .. I'm fine. Thank you." Rachel said stepping back. Nora nodded and looked the bandage. "For your arm and this one is a rubbing alcohol for…your cut" She gestured at Rachel's neck and stopped just feet from her when she caught the slight panic in Rachel's eyes. Nora set the supplies down carefully and remained squatting as she started to talk – her eyes casually watching the horses. "I used to know Will Strausser back when I worked for the militia. I credit him for helping realize how wrong I was about the Monroe Republic. I left when I was 25; he gave me this- as a going away present." Nora opened her jacket and turned her upper inner right arm revealing a perfect scar in the shape of chevron." Strausser had a thing about his rank back then." She looked down and ran her fingers over the mark.

Rachel's eyes softened and the corner of her mouth began to twitch in silent understanding.

"More recently, he kidnapped my little sister and strung her up in a town square because he knew I was there and he wanted something from us…" Nora let out a sigh at the thought of Mia and how they had parted. Realizing she was getting off subject Nora stood and focused her attention back on Rachel. "Anyway, I'm sorry and… I understand. Your secret is safe with me if… you ever want to talk" Nora turned and headed back up the path.

"I… can't see it." Rachel said quietly.

Nora gave a small smile and came back, picking up the canteen- "Here, let me." She reached for the cut at Rachel's collarbone careful to avoid the bruising on her neck but Rachel's hand stopped her. "Not that one" She said as she pulled back from Nora's thin fingers. She rotated away from Nora revealing her back. Nora held her breath as she took in the sight of all the marks, starting with the old raised white scars glowing in the moonlight along her back bone, near her shoulder blades and traveling down to the inflamed dark cuts at her lower back. Some of the lines looked like whip marks and others were too neat and precise to be anything but the work of Strausser. Easily more than a dozen from what Nora could see.

Rachel watched her face as Nora's eyes flickered around on the pale surface of her back. Her expression was hard to read. Nora noticed Rachel begin to shake and quickly apologized again before taking the damp shirt and dropping to her knees. She dumped the alcohol on the shirt and looked up. Rachel nodded and closed her eyes, silently saying "_Just do it_". Nora set the canteen down and grabbed a hold of Rachel's hip with one hand slopping the shirt against the wound, pressing firmly then dabbing. Rachel's balance waivered a bit and she made a small gasping noise as her breath caught with the sting of the alcohol. She bit down on her lip as her hand instinctively reached down to touch Nora's fingertips. Nora repeated this act 2 more times until she was satisfied that the wound was cleaned. She rinsed and wrung the shirt then handed it back to Rachel, who took it kindly. Nora grabbed the bandage and wrapped it around Rachel's waist tying it off snugly without a word.

"Thank you" Rachel whispered as she gently lowered herself down to retrieve the tank top. Nora smiled softly again and started back towards camp turning her head back halfway as she departed. "You're welcome."

Rachel slipped the dark tank top on and gingerly took a seat on the nearby rock leaning softly against a tree.

_Breathe, Rachel, just breathe._


End file.
